Mechanism for controlling time-switches and for other purposes.



J. N. REYNOLDS &-P. E. BUDDINGTON.. PoR CONTROLLING TIME SWITCHES AND Poe OTHER PURPOSES.

` MBGHANISM APFLIOATION FILED SBPT.16, 1907.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909. 2 SHBBTS-SHEBT l.

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J. N. REYNOLDS & F. E. BUDDINGTON. MBGHANISM FOR GONTROLLING TIME SWITCHES ANDTOR OTHER PURPOSES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16A, 1907. 91 1,072. Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

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.IUSTUS N. REYNOLDS AND FRANK F. BUDDINGTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD 'IO ABRAM DIEFENDORF, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MECHANISM FOR CONTROLLING TIME-SWITCHES AND FOR OTHER FUIRPOSES.

Application filed September 16, 1967.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

Serial No. 392,985.

To all whom it may concern.'

United States, residing at Chicago, in the county ot Cook and State oi Illinois, have inf vented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Controlling Time-Switches and for other Purposes, oiC which we do declare the following to be a lull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speciiication.

The present invention has for its object to provide improved mechanism more especially adapted for controlling time switches, electric clocks and similar devices, although features ci the invention will be found oi' more general application.

yllne invention consists in the novel teatures oi construction land combination. oi partsv hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a view in iront elevation illustratingl our invention as applied in connec tion with a time switch. Fig. 2 is a rear view with one oi the side bars oi the main irame omitted. Fig. 3 is a viewT in end elevation` Fig. i is a view in vertical section on line l-l ci Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view in horizontal section online 5-5 of Fig. 1.

rod showing the manner of connecting the gravity arm thereto, this view being taken on the section line 6 6 of Fig. 2. Fig. is a detail plan view ot the terminal jaw oi the electro magnet. Fig. S is an enlarged detail view in side elevation showing the circuit closer at the end of the pendulum rod and the terminal jaw with which it engages.

Frein the base plate 2 of the machine rises the main trame 3, the side bars of which are connected together at the top by a rod et. To one of the side bars 3 is secured a plate 5 oi suitable insulating material, the outer portion of this plate being shown as connected by a bar 6 with the base plate 2. Upon a block 7 (preferably of insulating material) that is secured to the upper portion ci the plate 5, is iiXed a. bracket 8 in which is pivotally sustained the pendulum rod 9 that carries at its lower end the pendulum 10, the pendulum rod being of metal, that is, brass, and the pendulum ot iron.

To the lower end of the pendulum rod 9 is pivotally connected a one way circuit closer adapted to swing with the pendulum towards and from the electro magnet 12, and as it swings towards the magnet to close the circuit for the passage of electric current through said magnet. As shown, the magnet 12 is mounted at one end upon a plate 13 and at its opposite end upon a support lll,

the core 15 oi the magnet projecting slightly beyond the plate 13.

ln order to give increased strength to the magnet 1.2 it is preferred to reinforce it by a heavy block 16 oi iron or steel that is fred to the core 15 oi" the magnet, a disk 17 oi insulating material being interposed bei, tween the iron block 16 and the coils of the magnet 12.

One end of the coil oi the magnet l2 is shown as connected to a binding post 1S to which current is delivered by a conductor 19, and the opposite end of the coil of the magnet is connected to aterminal 2O having at its outer end asuitable jaw or plate adapted to be engaged by the circuit closer that is carried by the pendulum rod 9. Freierably, this terminal jaw consists oi metallic spring plates 21 projecting towards the pendulum rod 9, these plates being flared outwardly, s shown more particularly in Fig. 7 of the drawings. The circuit closer l at the end oi the pendulum rod is shown Fig'. c is a dcta1l view or the upper end or" the pendulum f consisting oi a liat metal sleeve 25 in which is held a downwardly projecting, thin plate 26 oi insulating material, and the top of the sleeve 25 is pivoted as at 27 within a slot Jformed in the lower end of the pendulum rod 9. The upper end of the sleeve 25 has one of its shoulders rounded as at 28 (see dotted lines, Fig. S), so that the sleeve can turn freely as the pendulum swings away from the magnet 12, but the square shoulder at the upper end oi the sleeve 25 will contact with the top of the slot iormed in the lower end of the pendulum rod and will prevent the free swing of the sleeve 25 about the i pivot point 27 as the pendulum swings toward the magnet 12. Hence, it will be seen that when the pendulum swings towards the magnet 12, as shown in Fig. 8, the lower part of the sleeve 25 will enter between the spring jaws 2l oi the magnet terminal and will cause the current to 'pass from said terminal through the sleeve 25 to the pendulum rod andthrough the pivot of said pendulum rod to the bracket 8 and from this bracket S current will pass by the binding post 30 and conductor wire 31 back to battery or ground. As the pendulum continues to swing towards the magnet 12 the lower end of the sleeve 25 will pass beyond the inner ends of the lips 21a of the terminal jaws 21 and the insulating plate 26 will also pass beyond the lips 21a of these aws and this will occur at the time that the pendulum 10 is attracted to the core 15 of the magnet. When the sleeve thus passes inwardly beyond the lips 21aY of the jaws 21 the flow of current through the magnet 12 will be broken and the pendulum 10 will swing outward or away from the magnet. As the pendulum 10 thus swings outward, the insulating plate 26 will ride upon the upper edge of the lips 21a of the jaws 21, thus holding the circuit closing sleeve 25 out of contact with the jaws and to avoid all danger of contact the lower end of the sleeve 25 is shown as rounded away as illustrated in Fig. 8 of the drawings. As soon as the pendulum swings sufficiently outward to cause the plate 5 to clear the lips 21a of the jaws 21, the sleeve 25 and the plate 26 will drop by gravity to the normal position shown by full lines in Fig. 2. Hence, it will be seen that at each swing of the pendulum current is caused to pass through the magnet and the full swing of the pendulum is effected.

In order to regulate the swing of the pendulum an adjustable regulating arm is mounted at the upper end of the pendulum rod. As shown, this arm 85 is connected to the pendulum rod by forming the upper end of said arm with a slot 36 (see Fig. 6) and by passing a screw bolt 37 through the slotted v end of the pendulum rod and through the angular projecting portion 38 of the regulating arm 35. A knurled washer is preferably placed upon the bolt 37 so as to engage with the angular portion 38 of the arm 35 (see Fig. 6), and a nut 40 is provided for the outer threaded end of the bolt 37. Hence, it will be seen that the regulating arm 35 may be set to different positions so as to more eectively regulate the swing of the pendulum 10.

Motion is transmitted from the pendulum rod 9 by a pawl 45, the end of which engages a gear or ratchet wheel 46 pivotally sustained within the main frame 3. A suitable check pawl 47 is employed to prevent the backward movement of the gear wheel 46. The mechanism thus far described may be used for a variety of purposes, but in the drawings it is shown as applied to controlling the movement of an electric time switch.

As shown, a train of several gear wheels 50 and 51, united by pinions, lead from the gear or ratchet wheel 46, these gear wheels being suitably mounted within the side bars 3 of the main frame. The shaft 52 of the gear wheel 51 extends loosely into a sleeve 52a that is provided at its inner end with a gear wheel 53. A pinion 54 is mounted on the shaft 52 adjacent gear wheel 53, this pinion 54 meshing with a gear wheel 55 mounted upon a stud 56 projecting from the side bar of the main frame 3. The pinion 57, which is fixed to the gear wheel 55, meshes with the gear wheel 53 on the end of the sleeve 52a. The gear wheels and pinions last described form a reducing gear which, however, is not essential to the invention.

The sleeve 52a has its outer end journaled in the bracket 5S and upon this extension are adjustably mounted the contact arms or parts 60 and 61 for opening and closing` an electric switch. As shown, these arms 60 and 61 each consists of a bar of insulating material having metal hubs and preferably a metal shoe 62 at the points subjected to wear. The arm 60 is adjustable upon the sleeve 52L by a set screw 63 that passes through the hub of the arm and bears against the shaft extension, and, similarly, the arm 61 is adjustable by a set screw 64 that passes through the hub of this arm to engage the sleeve 52a. l referably, a disk shaped dial is adjustably mounted upon the sleeve 52a, both the inner and outer faces of this dial being marked with iigures, as indicated in Fig. 1*, these figures upon the dial serving to facilitate the proper'setting of the arms 60 and 61 for use.

The arm 60 is designed to effect the opening of an electrical switch and the arm 61 to eifect the closing of such switch. The switch shown comprises a pair of metal bars or plates and 76, the lower ends of which are pivotally mounted upon the brackets 77 and 7S. The switch arm 75 is provided at its lower end with an oset or angular portion 79 adapted to be struck by the contact arm 6G and with another angular portion or cifset 80 adapted to be struck by the contact arm 61. As shown, the lower end of the arm 76 is provided with an offset portion 82 that is adapted to contact witha stop 83 projecting upward from the bracket 78, this stop serving to limit the outward swing of the switch (see Figs. 4 and 5). The upper end of the switch arm 75 is adapted to engage the jaws of a switch terminal 85, and the upper end of the switch arm 76 is adapted to engage the jaws of the switch terminal 86, the terminal 85 being connected by a suitable binding post with an electric conductor 88, and the terminal 86 being similarly connected by a binding post with the conductor 89. By setting the contact arms 60 and 61 in desired position, these arms may be caused to open and close the electric switch at any desired time, the distance between the arms serving to denote the interval that shall elapse between the time when the contact arm 61 closes the switch and the time when the contact arm 60 opens the switch. Hence, it will be seen thatif the parts beassinned to be in the position shown by full lines in the drawings, the electric switch will have been turned to closed position by the contact arm 61 when the contact arm 60 is advancing to the position for effecting the opening of the switch. When, during its revolution, the arm contacts with the outer extension 79 of the switch it will gradually turn the switch about its central movement until the upper ends oi the arms are freed from engagement with the terminals 85 and 86 and the passage of electric current through the terminals will then be broken.

in order to insure the quick opening oi' the switch at the time that the arms and 76 pass from Contact with the terminals and 86 and thus prevent the formation of an arc at such points, it is preierred to employ a weight carried by a rod 91 that is pivoted to the cross bar Q2 that projects'outwardly beyond the side oi the switch arm 76 (see i). Ey reference to Fig. l it will be seen that when the switch arms 75 and 76 are about clear of' the terminals 85 and 86, the weight 90 'will swing outward and will aid in the quick withdrawal of the switch arms from the terminals.

lt is obvious that the precise details oir' construction above set out may be varied without departure from the scope of the invention and that features oi' the invention may be employed Without its adoption as an entirety.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. Mechanism of the character described comprising the combination with an electrical switch and its terminals, said switch l'iaving a pivoted switch-arm, of revoluble contact arms for alternately and positively shifting said pivoted switch arm in opposite directions, said contact arms being mounted to revolve in a nath at rit-ht angles to the f i o Q path of movement of said switch arm.

2. Mechanism of the character described comprising the combination with an electrical switch and its terminals, said switch havinT a pivoted switch arm and havingr projections at opposite sides of said switch arm, oi revoluble contact arms for alternately sluiting; said pivoted switch arms in opposite directions and a shaft whereon said contact arms are mounted.

3. iiechanism of the character described comprising` the combination with an electrical switch and its terminals, said switch having apivoted switch arm, of a shaft whereby said switch arm is pivotally supported, projections at each side of said shaft whereby said switch arm may be shifted revolubly, contact arms arranged to move in a path at right angles to the path of said switch arm and to contact with said projection, a shaft for carryingw said contact arms and a train of gears `ior imparting revolution to said shaft.

e. Mechanism oi' the character described, com rising the combination with an electrica switch and its terminals, said switch having,` a pivoted switch arm, oi revoluble contact arms for alternately and positively shifting said pivoted arm in opposite directions and a single train of gears for imparting revolution to said revoluble contact arms.

5. llechanism of the character described, comprising the combination with an electrical switch and its terminals, said switch having a pivoted switch arm provided with oppositely disposed extensions or offsets, of revoluble contact arms mounted to move at right anvles to the path oi the switch arm and arranged to alternately engage said offsets to shift said pivoted switch arm in opposite directions and means for imparting revolution to said contact arms.

6. Mechanism of the character described comprisingthe combination with an electrical switch and its terminals, said switch having a pivoted switch arm provided on opposite sides of its pivot point with oii'sets, of two revoluble contact arms arranged to alernately engage said oiisets of the switch arm to shift said switch arm in opposite directions, a shaft whereon both of said contact arms are adjustably mounted, said shaft extending; at right angles to the plane of movement of the switch arm, and means for imparting; rotation to said shaft.

7. Mechanism of the character described comprising the combination with an electrical switch and its terminals, of a pivot-ed weight carried by said switch and serving' to accelerate its movement, revoluble contact arms or parts for shifting said switch and. mechanism for actuating said arms.

JUSTUS N. REYNOLDS. FRANK E. BUDDNGTON.

.wlitnesses LILLIAN PRENTion, KATHARINE GERLACH. 

